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METRO VANCOUVER — In six short years, the social media network Twitter has profoundly changed the sports landscape in North America. Every NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL and CFL franchise has a Twitter presence to shape news and connect with fans, including the B.C. Lions, whose organization and players tweet religiously.

But Lions general manager Wally Buono has only tepidly and warily embraced the Twitterverse. Wednesday gave him further cause for suspicion of the medium’s ability to do harm after Lions defensive tackle Khalif Mitchell was fined by the CFL for tweeting an inappropriate and racially insensitive comment.

A couple hours later, the Lions followed up the league’s action by saying that Mitchell will not be in uniform Friday when the team plays the Edmonton Eskimos at BC Place Stadium, even though Mitchell practised with the first-team defence on Wednesday.

“Honestly, I hate Twitter. I hate Facebook,” Buono admitted. “The reason is, it’s just too public. Everything is so public about everything you do. I live by the philosophy that, if you can pick up a stone and throw it, because you haven’t done it, then pick up a stone. I just don’t think there are too many people who can say they haven’t made a comment they regretted and said something that might have been derogatory toward a certain group of people. Here, obviously, what happened was wrong. But we live in a world where we have to be tolerant of other people, whether we like it or not.”

Mitchell’s offending tweet represented the third time this season the player has run afoul of league policy and forced the Lions to issue their own rebuke later. And it’s also the third time Buono has been forced to go to bat to defend his All-CFL tackle.

Having him on the Lions is a delicate balancing act, veering from Mitchell’s predilection to be a loose cannon to his genial nature and enormous physical presence, when it is channeled in the right direction on the football field.

“Things are sometimes done and said and there’s no thought to the process,” Buono told a media scrum after practice. “It’s okay when you’re in the privacy of your house. But, unfortunately, we live in a world today where there is no privacy. Whether it’s an employee, a player, even myself, if every time you make a mistake and you cut somebody, or release somebody, I don’t know that anyone would be employed. I don’t think you (media) would be employed, quite honestly.”

Mere hours after Mitchell’s tweet, the CFL acted swiftly with a fine and a re-statement of the league’s social media policy. It said:"All postings made to social media are treated as 'public' and are subject to the same discipline if a player or employee made similar comments or actions in a public forum or in front of a camera or microphone. If a player, team employee or league employee uses social media (which includes re-tweeting or reposting someone else's comment(s) to their own social media account) in a manner that may bring the CFL into disrepute, including posts that condone harassment, discrimination or violence, are obscene or sexually explicit, or divulge proprietary information or disparage the league, teams, officials, players, employees or fans, they will be subject to discipline from the Commissioner's Office."

In response to the league’s action, Lions president Dennis Skulsky said that Mitchell, who missed the previous three starts with a quadriceps injury, will not play Friday against the Eskimos.

“A joint decision has been made between VP of football operations Wally Buono, head coach Mike Benevides and I to remove him from the starting lineup,” Skulsky said in a statement. “Despite his public expression of remorse, we believe this is the best course of action for our organization at this time. Let me state very clearly on behalf of our entire organization that Khalif’s message was completely inappropriate and we apologize to anyone who was offended by it.”

In September, the CFL fined Mitchell for making provocative throat-slashing gestures in a game against the Eskimos at Commonwealth Stadium. In August, he was suspended for two games, without pay, after a reckless takedown on Eskimos offensive lineman Simeon Rottier, stemming from a July 20 game at BC Place when he wrenched the player’s arm to the point of injury. Mitchell appealed the suspension but an independent arbitrator later ruled against him.

Unlike the two previous incidents, however, Mitchell issued an apology for his latest transgression.

"I made a comment, and it wasn't right," he said, truly appearing to be contrite. "I want to apologize. The comments that I made were done from unknown knowledge. I want to apologize to everyone out there who may have been offended, on behalf of me, my team and my organization."

As a lightning rod for controversy, Mitchell is supported by some, tolerated by others on the Lions.

“If I’m a grown man, and I don’t know how to police myself, or when to shut up, especially on a social site or a public forum, then I have some issues,” said Lions veteran Dante Marsh. “I’ve done all that I can do.”

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